In a conversation with Tribal Football, Brentford’s coach broke down the differences in playing against the top clubs in English football.
“Against Liverpool at home, we perhaps played our best 45 minutes against a top-four team this season. We did it without several regular starters, but our level was still very good that day. And we ended up losing 4-1. It happens,” explains the Brentford coach, admitting that the team “simply has the ability to reach a different level.”
Although it’s difficult to play against them, there are also differences in playing styles that coaches like Frank try to exploit.
“Arsenal and Manchester City are very similar, with two coaches who have worked closely together. It’s clear they’ve taken some ideas from each other, and it’s a sort of master and apprentice situation, but both are incredibly good coaches. What they try to do in their game plan is quite similar, with the differences lying in the types of players they field. Liverpool is different from the other two, as defensively they are a bit more open.
They have a higher defensive line, which provides more scoring opportunities against them compared to Manchester City and Arsenal. On the other hand, Liverpool is also harder to control in their attack compared to the other two. It’s certainly not easy to shut down City or Arsenal, but it’s more difficult to shut down Liverpool,” Frank believes.
During their three years in the Premier League, Brentford has managed to beat all of the so-called Big 6 at some point, and Frank admits to being very proud of achievements like this.
“Of course. If you don’t, it’s because you’re not humble enough, in my opinion. We have a fantastic group of people and players here, and I’m very proud of what I’m a part of here at Brentford,” he adds.